The Seattle Mariners desperately need more offensive firepower. That need grew more dire on Tuesday when the team placed Julio Rodriguez and JP Crawford on the injured list.
Rodriguez has been one of the team's most dependable hitters, playing in 100 of Seattle's 102 games this season, hitting .263 with 18 stolen bases. Crawford has struggled this season, hitting .204, but has continued to improve defensively.
Rodriguez' injury came after he crashed into the outfield wall on Sunday during the Mariners' game against the Astros. Crawford suffered a hairline fracture on his right pinky finger after he was hit by a pitch on Monday.
In addition, the Mariners designated 2022 All-Star Ty France for assignment.
To take their places and fill out the roster, Seattle called up a quartet of players from Triple-A Tacoma: outfielder Jonatan Clase, infielder Tyler Locklear, outfielder Cade Marlowe, and infielder Leo Rivas.
All four players have Major League experience, with Marlowe the only one to not take a swing for the big league club in 2024. Clase and Locklear are both top-10 prospects in the Mariners' system, per MLB Pipeline, though they've struggled in limited MLB duty.
The Mariners actually optioned Clase back to Tacoma yesterday but were able to bring him right back with the injuries. The switch-hitting left fielder is just 22 years old and is hitting .195 in 43 MLB plate appearances. He also has three stolen bases to go with the 26 he's accumulated in Tacoma this year. Clase is not in the Mariners' lineup on Tuesday but has batted eighth or ninth in 15 of 19 games.
Locklear is in the lineup and will bat sixth for the Mariners against the Los Angeles Angels. The first baseman has hit two home runs in limited time and the power-hitting prospect has an .887 OPS between Double-A and Triple-A this year.
Marlowe held his own in 100 plate appearances for Seattle last year. He only hit .239, but three homers, three doubles and two triples gave him a 112 OPS+. Marlowe, who will bat ninth and play right field on Tuesday, also stole four bases for good measure.
As for Rivas, he is 2-6 in his brief career and had the pleasure of tripling in his first MLB at bat on April 28. He was also the 999th player to appear in a game in Mariners history. Rivas will be on the bench for Seattle Tuesday.
Mariners cut Ty France in surprising roster move
There's no getting around that France is mired in the worst season of his career. In addition to a .223 average, he's 0-11 over his past five games. The Mariners placed him on outright waivers and will be able to assign him to the Minor Leagues if he clears. Because of his service time, however, France will have the right to refuse an assignment.
France is due $6,775,000 this year and has one more year of arbitration before he hits free agency.
The first baseman finds himself a long way off from where he was just two years ago. The former All-Star hit .274 with 20 home runs in 2022, building on his breakout season the year before. 2023 was undeniably a step back as his average dropped to .250 and his OPS from .774 to .703.
Now, however, with the Mariners struggling to hit, the team is opting to look for a jolt from their minor leaguers. Locklear, who presumably took France's spot, is one of the Mariners' top prospects at 23 years old.
The impromptu youth movement serves another purpose for Seattle: The team is in the market for a few big bats at the MLB trade deadline, but those bats will cost some prospects. What better way to show them off than in the Majors?
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